THE TALL MAN OF BALLACURRY

TOM CRAINE was going home at midnight from Bradda mine to his home
at Colby. The road was lonely and he met no person, but the full moon
was shining and it was as light as day. As he began to pass under the
trees that grow round the house at Ballacurry, a little dog appeared
suddenly from the black shadow at the roadside and followed at his
heels. He whistled to it, but as he turned his head to look at it, it
ran on in front of him, and for a minute he did not see it. When he
came in sight of it again, he was terrified to see that it had grown
larger-as big as a goat-and it grew bigger and bigger till it was the
size of a donkey ! It galloped before him and disappeared round the
bend of the road where the gate of Ballacurry is. When Tom came to
the gate he saw a very tall, thin man leaning on it, with his arms
folded on the top of it. The beast was not there. As Tom reached the
gate the tall thin man turned and walked up the long path that leads
to the house. When he got to the door he turned again and walked back
down the path towards Tom. By the bright moonlight Tom saw the lace
ruffle round his neck, the satin of his knee breeches, the silk of
his stockings, and the shining buckles on his shoes-the dress of
bygone days. His face was white and dreadful. As Tom looked he was
all at once taken with terror, and ran off as hard as he could go
down the road to Colby.

He had not gone far when he met two of his friends, Ben
Mylechreest and Bill Teare. He told them what he had seen, and they
made fun of him and would not believe that he had seen any such
thing. They said they would go back with him to the gate, so they all
three turned back. When the got to the gate they saw the big man, as
tall as two men, walking up the path with his back towards them. As
before, when he reached the door, he turned -

WHAT they saw they never told any man!

They took to their heels; all three; and ran till they could run
no longer. They were trembling from head to foot and the sweat
pouring from them. They were too terrified to go home, so they turned
in with Tom and they slept, all three, in one bed.